Talbot House closure due to director’s departure

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CBC News

Posted: Mar 7, 2012 2:15 PM AT

Last Updated: Mar 7, 2012 3:03 PM AT

Talbot House says the organization's interim executive director resigned unexpectedly.

Talbot House says the organization’s interim executive director resigned unexpectedly. (Talbot House)

A Cape Breton addiction recovery centre is closing its doors because a newly-hired interim director resigned, the organization said Wednesday.

The Talbot House Recovery Centre in Frenchvale had hired an interim director to replace Rev. Paul Abbass, the organization’s former executive director.

Abbass was asked to step down last month after unspecified allegations were brought against him in his capacity as executive director of the men’s addiction and rehabilitation facility.

John Gainer, a clinical psychologist and chair of the Talbot House board of directors wrote in a statement that the board had developed a plan to continue operations at the facility after Abbass left.

“In recent days, the interim executive director has resigned, rendering the provisional plan unsustainable,” Gainer wrote.

“Balancing the well-being of residents and their recovery needs with possible risk factors were determining considerations by the board to suspend programming and close Talbot House for the foreseeable future.”

The statement does not explain why the new director resigned.

Talbot House is a 53-year-old facility that normally has 18 residents who stay for between three and six months while participating in addiction recovery programs.

The board said it is working with the Department of Community Services to relocate the current residents to recovery facilities elsewhere in the province.

Talbot House received $420,000 from the Department of Community Services last year.

2 Responses to Talbot House closure due to director’s departure

  1. Lois says:

    The Cape Breton Post also today reported that the interim director resigned. There was no reason given for the resignation or even the name of the person. Some of the comments on the CB Post article are not very charitable at all. Based on comments made on some related articles SNAP appears to be involved; their credibility is dubious at best. At this point I believe Father Abbass deserves the benefit of the doubt. We do not know what it was he was accused of in the first place. There is only conjecture and rumour and when one is speaking of a priest, that’s all it takes for the rumour to somehow morph into fact. Very sad situation here in CB..

  2. Mike Mc says:

    “There is only conjecture and rumour and when one is speaking of a priest, that’s all it takes for the rumour to somehow morph into fact.”

    While I understand what you are saying, I can only tell you that I myself felt that way about a Bishop and two priests I knew personally. But I assure you when the facts came out, it was another scandel we had to deal with. I was shocked, saddened…then angry.
    So “morph” or not……there is something brewing here with Fr Abass and as you can see on this site and in the news just TOO MANY times for something NOT to be wrong, “there is something rotten in the state of”…. the Church. Sad but true. Yes, a very sad situation in CB ….and around the world!

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